Ornamental device for use in association with toy electric railways



Jan. 2, 1934. G. HANDY 1,942,167

ORNAMENTAL DEVICE FOR USE IN ASSOCIATION WITH TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Filed May 28, 1952 Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES ORNAMENTAL DEVICE FOR USE IN ASSO- CIATION WAYS WITH TOY ELECTRIC RAIL- Levin G. Handy, Mountain View, N. J.

Application May 28, 1932. Serial No. 614,074

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an ornamental device for use in association with toy electric railways.

An object of the invention is to provide a device which will include a crossing gate or the like and a toy figure representing a signalman or the like arranged to move a signal into and out of signalling position whenever the crossing gate operates. Y

A more detailed object is to provide a crossing gate, a toy Signalman, a common support or platform upon which these two elements are carried, and suitable connections extending between said two elements of a character such that the operation of one, as for instance incident to the passage of a train, will operate the other.

A further object is to so design the structure that the platform element will represent a railroad crossing having the gate arranged at one side of the crossing and movable into and out of position guarding the crossing and having the Signalman at a location spaced from the gate and preferably in a position approximately mid-way of the crossing such as is customary for signalmen to occupy when a train is passing in a standard railway system.

A still further object is to provide a platform element intended to represent a railroad crossing, an electrically operable crossing gate carried by said platform element, a toy figure representing a signalman also carried by said platform element, and connections extending between the crossing gate and the signalman also carried by the platform element by which to operate the signalman by the movements of the gate, and the whole being assembled as a single article of manufacture.

7 Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partly in vertical section, of a device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line III-III of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure seen in Fig. 1. 4

Referring to the drawing for describing in detail the invention as illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates the platform member. The reference character G indicates generally the crossing gate. And the reference character H indicates generally the signalman.

The platform L may be given any appropriate shape but it preferably is of a generally rectangular contour in plan view, as indicated in Fig. 4. It is intended to be of such length as to extend across and to represent a railroad crossing, that is a portion of a road where said road crosses the railroad tracks. Adjacent to one of its ends is mounted the crossing gate G and adjacent to its other end is provided a standard or post 1 adjacent to which the free end of the movable gate portion 2 of the crossing gate structure swings when the gate is swung down into guarding position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The crossing gate G may be of any appropriate type, but is preferably of the electrically operable type now well known in toy railroad systems, that is one which is connected with the adjacent railroad tracks by suitable wiring so that the gate is electrically caused to swing down into guarding position Whenever a train approaches the crossing. Its movable member 2 is pivotally mounted as at 3 upon a suitable standard or housing 4 within which electrical apparatus, not illustrated, is usually contained.

At a suitable location at one side of the position occupied by the gate part 2 when said gate is down, and intermediate the housing 4 and the post 1, is arranged the signalman H. The signalman consists of a hollow metal post 5, made up ornamentally to represent a figure of a man having at the outer end of one of his arms as 6 a suitable stop signal as '7. The arm 6 is pivotally mounted as by means of a horizontal shaft 3 which extends across the post 5 at theshoulder portion of the figure, being pivotally mounted as at 99 in the opposite side walls of the post.

The shaft 8 carries an arm 10 rigid therewith, preferably interiorly of the post, and to the outer end of this arm is pivotally connected a link 11 which extends downwardly, preferably interiorly of the post, and through an aperture 12 provided through the top wall 13 of the platform to a point below said top wall and within a compartment as 14 defined by the platform below said top wall 13.

The platform L is formed with suitable side wall portions 15, the lower edge of which are designed to rest upon the surface of a suitable table or other support 16 so that the hollow compartment 14 is defined between the table surface 16 and the under-surface of the top wall 13.

The opening 12 through the top wall 13 is preferably formed by striking out and bending down therefrom a tang portion as 17 of said top wall. The tang portion 17 is thus disposed adjacent to the opening 12, and it is formed with a bearing aperture as 18 within which is rotatably mounted one end of a horizontal crank shaft 19. The opposite end of the shaft 19 is rotatably mounted in a bearing aperture 20 formed through a similar tang portion as 21 stamped out of the material of the wall 13 and leaving an opening as 22 through said wall adjacent to the crossing gate G.

At the first mentioned end of the shaft 19 said shaft has a crank thereon as 23 which is pivotally engaged by the lower end of the link 11, while at its other end said shaft has an oppositely disposed crank as 24 thereon pivotally engaged by the lower end of a link 25 which extends upwardly through the opening 22 and into pivotal engagement as at 26 with the gate portion 2 of the crossing gate structure.

The pivotal connection of the link 25 with the gate portion 2 is at one side of the pivotal mounting 3 of said gate portion and the entire train of connection between the gate portion and the arm of the Signalman is in such relation that whenever the gate portion swings downwardly the crank 24 will be swung upwardly thereby swinging the crank 23 and arm 10 downwardly and causing the stop sign to swing upwardly to danger position.

It will be understood of course that the crossing gate G, the post 1 and the signalman H, are all fixedly mounted upon the platform L.

The platform may also carry suitable binding posts as 27 and 28 with which Wires from the railroad track may be connected and from which suitable conductors may extend to the electrical mechanism within the casing 4 of the crossing gate.

The device as thus described is simple and practical in construction and its several parts may be easily assembled. In operation, whenever a train approaches the crossing guarded by the gate, and effects a lowering of the gate, the Signalman will at the sametime swing up his arm to exhibit his danger signal. The signalman will continue to hold his signal in the danger position as long as the gate remains down. After the train has passed the upward movement of the gate out of guarding position causes the signalman to move his danger signal down to its nondanger position, all in close simulation to the action of a regular signalman at the crossings in standard railway systems.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims,

said platform member, a signal device also mounted upon the platform member having a part movable into and out of danger position, the platform member having an upper wall and being shaped to provide a hollow compartment beneath said upper wall, portions of said upper wall being pressed outwardly therefrom to form openings through said wall and to provide bearings Within said compartment, a crank shaft oscillatably mounted in said bearings, and connections extending through one of said openings between one end of said crank shaft and the movable part of the signal device and extending through the other opening between the opposite end of the crank shaft and the mentioned part of the gate whereby to insure movement of the mentioned part of the signal device in response to movement of the mentioned part of the gate.

2. As an article of manufacture, a toy structure adapted to be positioned at any selected point alongside a toy railway track and including a hollow platform member designed to represent a portion of a railroad crossing and having a crossing gate mounted upon its top wall at one side thereof adapted to swing into and out of guarding position across the crossing represented by said platform member, a toy figure representing a signalman also mounted upon the top wall of the platform member spaced from the crossing gate in position symbolic of a signalman standing to guard the crossing and having an arm pivotally mounted to swing into and out of danger position, the top Wall of the platform member having a pair of spaced openings therethrough one adjacent the gate and the other adjacent the toy figure, and a connecting member extending downwardly from the gate through the adjacent opening and into the hollow of the platform member, a second connecting member extending downwardly from the arm of the toy figure through the adjacent opening and into the hollow of the platform member, and means covered and concealed within the hollow of the platform member co-acting with said two connecting members to cause swinging of the arm by swinging movements of the gate.

3. As an article of manufacture, a toy structure adapted to be positioned at any selected point alongside of a toy railway track including a platform member designed to represent a portion of a railroad crossing, a crossing gate mounted upon said platform member adapted to swing into and out of guarding position across the crossing represented by said platform member, a toy' signal device separate from the crossing gate also mounted upon said platform member at a location spaced away from the crossing gate and having a movable part, the platform member being shaped to provide a hollow compartment beneath i compartment and being in ma or part concealed and protected within said compartment.

LEVIN G. HANDY. 

